Better Harvest and Healthy Oils in Improved Mustard Plant Hybrids

Greg Howard
17th June, 2024

Better Harvest and Healthy Oils in Improved Mustard Plant Hybrids

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • In Bangladesh, mustard varieties have high erucic acid levels, which are unhealthy
  • Researchers developed new mustard hybrids with 30-40% less erucic acid
  • These hybrids also showed a 20-25% increase in healthier oleic acid content
Erucic acid in mustard seed oil, when present above 2%, is considered unhealthy for human consumption and poses significant nutritional and food safety concerns. In Bangladesh, existing mustard varieties contain high levels of erucic acid (40-48%), necessitating improvements in seed oil quality. A recent study conducted by Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University aimed to address this issue by developing new mustard hybrids with reduced erucic acid content and improved yield traits[1]. In this study, six popular cultivars of Brassica juncea mustard were crossed with a canola-grade line using a 7 × 7 half diallel method. This approach involves crossing each parent line with every other line to produce 21 F1 hybrids. These hybrids were then assessed for yield-contributing traits and fatty acid composition. The researchers found significant variations in traits such as days to siliquae maturity, plant height, days to first flowering, and seeds per siliquae, which exhibited moderate narrow sense heritability. This indicates that these traits are moderately influenced by genetic factors and could be improved through selective breeding. The study identified that dominant or over-dominant gene action played a more prominent role in governing these traits. Among the parent lines, P1, P3, and P4 were identified as the best general combiners for early maturity and short phenology, while P2 and P7 were the best for yield-attributing traits. Specific hybrids, such as P1 × P4, P1 × P6, P2 × P7, P4 × P6, and P3 × P5, were highlighted as promising due to their superior specific combining ability and desired heterotic effects on yield traits. A significant achievement of this study was the reduction of erucic acid content by 30-40% on average among the hybrids. Additionally, there was an approximately 20-25% increase in oleic acid content, which is a healthier alternative. Hybrids such as P1 × P6-S1, P5 × P6-S2, and P5 × P6-S4 exhibited better stability in these traits. Overall, hybrids P1 × P5, P1 × P6, P2 × P3, P2 × P7, P4 × P6, P5 × P6, and P6 × P7 were identified as promising due to their early maturity, high yield, reduced erucic acid, and high oleic acid contents. This study builds on previous research efforts to improve resistance and quality traits in Brassica juncea. For instance, the identification of the BjuWRR1 gene from an East European gene pool line of B. juncea provided a genetic basis for white rust resistance[2]. Similarly, another study mapped a new resistance locus to A. candida isolate AcB1 in a Chinese vegetable type mustard, Tumida, and identified a candidate gene, BjuA046215, related to the BjuWRR1 gene[3]. These studies highlight the potential of genetic mapping and molecular breeding in improving disease resistance and other desirable traits in mustard. Furthermore, somaclonal variation has been explored as a source of additional variability for manipulating fatty acid content in B. juncea. Previous research demonstrated the potential of somaclones to significantly reduce erucic acid content in regenerated plantlets, which can be valuable for developing future mustard crops with improved oil quality[4]. In conclusion, the recent study by Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University demonstrates a successful approach to developing new mustard hybrids with reduced erucic acid content and improved yield traits. By leveraging genetic diversity and advanced breeding techniques, these findings contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance the nutritional quality and safety of mustard seed oil, addressing a critical issue for food security in Bangladesh.

AgricultureBiochemPlant Science

References

Main Study

1) Improvement in yield attributes and fatty acids composition in the derivative hybrids compared to their respective parents in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.).

Published 15th June, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31977

Related Studies

2) BjuWRR1, a CC-NB-LRR gene identified in Brassica juncea, confers resistance to white rust caused by Albugo candida.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03350-z

3) A Mapped Locus on LG A6 of Brassica juncea Line Tumida Conferring Resistance to White Rust Contains a CNL Type R Gene.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01690

4) In Vitro Production of Somaclones with Decreased Erucic Acid Content in Indian Mustard [Brassica juncea (Linn.) Czern&Coss].

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071297


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